How Do I Get My Website Found On Google?
A static site is easy for search engines to read. Write a real title and description on each page, use your own domain, add a sitemap, and ask Google to look. HTTPS and fast serving are already done for you.
Updated
Static sites are the easiest kind for a search engine to read: there is no framework to execute and nothing loads late. Most of what is left is writing.
What We Already Do
- HTTPS on every site, which search engines expect
- Fast serving from a global CDN, so page speed is not your problem
- A custom 404 page if you set one, which stops broken links looking dead
What Only You Can Do
Give every page a real title and description. This is the single biggest
thing. In the <head> of each page:
<title>Thornbury Dental - Family Dentist In Bristol</title>
<meta name="description" content="NHS and private dental care in Bristol. New patients welcome, step-free entrance, book online.">
Say what the page is and where you are. The title is what people see in the results, so write it for them, not for a machine.
Use one <h1> per page that matches what the page is about.
Write alt text on images. It describes the picture to someone who cannot see it, and search engines read it too.
Use Your Own Domain
A free subdomain works and will be indexed, but your own domain is worth having if you want to be found for your business name. It is also what people trust in a result. See connecting a domain.
Tell Google You Exist
Search engines find most sites on their own, eventually. To speed it up, add the site to Google Search Console and submit it. That is also where you see which searches brought people to you.
A sitemap.xml helps on a larger site. On a five-page site it makes little
difference.
How Long It Takes
Days to weeks for a new site, not hours. Nothing you do makes that instant, and anyone selling you otherwise is guessing.
Once people arrive, website statistics shows you how many, without cookies or a consent banner.